Determining The Impact Of Distance Reiki On Patient Reported QOL And Immunity Among Multiple Myeloma Patients

The Effect of Distance Reiki on Patient Reported Quality of Life, Correlated With Changes in Immune Repertoires Among Multiple Myeloma Patients: A Pilot Study

This research study is being done to determine if Distance Reiki therapy offers a quality of life benefit, and improves immunity compared to patients receiving Sham Distance Reiki therapy or no additional Reiki intervention.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Multiple Myeloma; Autologous Stem Cell Transplant
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Distance Reiki; Other: Sham distance Reiki

Detailed Description

Reiki is a popular complementary medicine modality sought after by patients. This non- intrusive Japanese based therapy centers on the guiding of energy through a Reiki practitioner to the patient which facilitates innate healing by modulation of energy fields. Reiki is formally classified as biofield therapy by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM).

Current research indicates that Reiki shows promise as a noninvasive healing tool for mind and body, particularly among patients with cancer. However, the data validating the effectiveness of Reiki integrated within a structured medical paradigm and the effect on cancer immunity remains unknown.

Given the clear demand for Reiki among cancer patients but skepticism within the medical community, this trial will aim to determine an objective patient reported quality of life (PRQoL) benefit by utilizing validated tools, in order to effectively implement Reiki into traditional medical practice.

Multiple myeloma patients are at high risk of serious illness from the COVID-19 virus during this pandemic, and so distance Reiki will be carried out via video conferencing platform.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 30
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Minnesota
    • Rochester, Minnesota, United States, 55905
      • Mayo Clinic in Rochester

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age ≥ 18 years
• Patients with Multiple Myeloma with stable disease or currently in maintenance therapy
• English Speaking
• Computer and internet access with video conferencing availability

Exclusion Criteria:

• Evidence of disease relapse at the post-transplant follow up visit
• Patient not returning to Mayo Clinic Rochester for subsequent post-transplant follow up

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Distance Reiki; Subjects will be scheduled for once a week session of distance Reiki for 4 weeks.	Other: Distance Reiki; Reiki therapy session performed remotely over a Zoom® video conferencing platform led by Reiki Practitioners who are also Health Care Providers at the Mayo Clinic, and have at least 6 months of experience in Reiki.
Sham Comparator: Sham Reiki; Subjects will be scheduled for once a week session of Sham distance Reiki for 4 weeks.	Other: Sham distance Reiki; Session performed remotely over a Zoom® video conferencing platform led by a Health Care Provider employed at the Mayo Clinic, but will have no experience in Reiki and will not be a certified Reiki Practitioner.
No Intervention: Standard of Care; Subjects will not receive any Reiki treatment

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in patient-reported quality of life	Measured using the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS)-29 survey. PROMIS measures are scored on the T-score metric. High scores mean more of the concept being measured (eg. more Fatigue, more Physical Function)	Baseline, approximately 5 weeks
Change in patient-reported overall quality of life	Measured using the single item Linear Analogue Self-Assessment (LASA) that uses a 10-point Likert scale, where 0=as bad as it can be and 10=as good as it can be	Baseline, approximately 5 weeks
Acceptability of Distance Reiki among multiple myeloma (MM) outpatients.	Measured by using the "Was it worth it" (WIWI) questionnaire which patients will complete upon study completion. This is a 3 item questionnaire which assesses patient satisfaction. Higher scores indicate greater acceptability of the Reiki intervention.	Approximately 5 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Phenotypic characterization of circulating immune cells	Measured using mass cytometry by time of flight (CyTOF) to phenotypically characterize the immune cells in peripheral blood	Baseline, approximately 5 weeks
Assessment of T-cell receptor repertoire and T-cell clonal diversity	Analyzed using multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) RNA-sequencing to define T-cell antigen receptor (TCR) repertoire.	Baseline, approximately 5 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Mayo Clinic
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Martha Lacy, MD, Mayo Clinic; Principal Investigator: Joselle M. Cook, MBBS, Mayo Clinic

Publications and helpful links

Helpful Links

• Mayo Clinic Clinical Trials

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 27, 2021
• Primary Completion (Actual): August 1, 2022
• Study Completion (Actual): August 1, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 28, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 2, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): March 4, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): November 21, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 20, 2025
• Last Verified: November 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Vascular Diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases; Neoplasms; Immune System Diseases; Neoplasms by Histologic Type; Hematologic Diseases; Lymphoproliferative Disorders; Immunoproliferative Disorders; Neoplasms, Plasma Cell; Hemostatic Disorders; Paraproteinemias; Blood Protein Disorders; Hemorrhagic Disorders; Hemic and Lymphatic Diseases; Multiple Myeloma
• Other Study ID Numbers: 20-007168; NCI-2021-13433 (Registry Identifier: CTRP (Clinical Trials Reporting Program))

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No